Friction hinge for a console box lid

Abstract

The hinge structure of a console box including a brake shaft and a braking device, arranged in a place displaced in the axial direction of a hinge shaft and disposed on one side of the hinge shaft. When opening and closing a lid, the drive shaft and the hinge shaft rotate in conjunction with the rotation of the lid, while a friction plate between the brake shaft and a braking plate is pressed against the rotating end face and the stationary brake plate, which is secured to a storage box, and a predetermined friction force can be produced continuously. Due to the friction force, the lid can be rotated under the influence of a moderate extent of rotational resistance when opening and closing the lid, and the position of the lid can be kept in the place where the lid stopped rotating within a rotatable range of the lid.

What is claimed is:   
     
       1. A hinge structure of a storage container comprising:
 a storage box having an opening for putting goods in said storage box and taking goods out of said storage box; 
 a lid adapted to close at least a part of said opening; 
 a hinge shaft rotatably connecting said lid to said storage box so that said lid can open and close at least a part of said opening; 
 a brake shaft having a rotational axis that is coaxial with said hinge shaft, and said brake shaft being adapted to rotate about said rotational axis together with said lid; 
 a braking device comprising a brake plate to generate a stable friction force in cooperation with an end face of said brake shaft, so that said stable friction force provides said brake shaft with rotational resistance to retain said lid at any position where said lid stops rotating around said hinge shaft; 
 wherein said storage box and said lid each have a bearing member that comprises a bearing portion to support said hinge shaft rotatably, a side surface of said bearing member of said lid being arranged to abut on a side surface of said bearing member of said storage box so as to open and close said lid smoothly, said lid having a connecting member with which said brake shaft is engaged so that said lid and said brake shaft integrally rotate around said rotational axis when said lid rotates around said hinge shaft, said storage box having another bearing member, a side surface of said connecting member of said lid being arranged to abut on a side surface of said another bearing member so as to open and close said lid smoothly; and 
 wherein said braking device is arranged beside said end face of said brake shaft, said brake plate extending in a direction intersecting said rotational axis, said brake plate being arranged along said end face of said brake shaft and secured with respect to said storage box, said braking device further comprising a friction plate disposed between said brake plate and said end face of said brake plate, a support shaft integrally formed on said end face of said brake shaft projecting along said rotational axis with said friction plate and said brake plate engaged with said support shaft, a swaged portion formed at the end of said support shaft with a spring plate and a washer pressed between said swaged portion and said brake plate so that said friction plate is pressed against said end face and said brake plate. 
 
     
     
       2. The hinge structure as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said end face of said brake shaft is formed at one end of said brake shaft and oriented so that said end face extends in the direction of intersecting with said rotational axis. 
     
     
       3. The hinge structure as recited in  claim 1 , wherein locking means for preventing said brake shaft and said connecting member from relatively revolving around said rotational axis are arranged between said brake shaft and said connecting member. 
     
     
       4. The hinge structure as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said braking device consists of said friction plate and said brake plate and said spring plate and said washer, which are arranged between said end face of said brake shaft and said swaged portion of said support shaft, and said braking device being located outside said end face of said brake shaft. 
     
     
       5. The hinge structure as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said end face is formed at one end of said brake shaft, said hinge shaft being integrally formed at the other end of said brake shaft, said support shaft is integrally formed on said end face of said brake shaft so that said support shaft projects along said rotational axis, said braking device having said brake plate being mounted to said support shaft, and thereby a hinge-shaft assembly being composed of an integrated combination of said hinge shaft and said brake shaft and said braking device. 
     
     
       6. The hinge structure as recited in  claim 5 , wherein said brake shaft and said braking device are displaced in the axial direction of said hinge shaft. 
     
     
       7. The hinge structure as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said support shaft is integrally formed on said end face of said brake shaft so that said support shaft projects along said rotational axis, said braking device having said brake plate being mounted to said support shaft, and thereby a brake assembly being composed of an integrated combination of said brake shaft and said braking device, so that said brake assembly is configured as an independent lid-holding device. 
     
     
       8. The hinge structure as recited in  claim 7 , wherein said brake assembly or said lid-holding device is displaced in the axial direction of said hinge shaft. 
     
     
       9. The hinge structure as recited in  claim 5 , wherein said hinge shaft and said brake shaft of said integrated combination have a portion extending between said bearing members of said storage box, and said hinge shaft and said brake shaft of said integrated combination having a portion extending between said bearing member and said connecting member of said lid. 
     
     
       10. The hinge structure as recited in  claim 7 , wherein said hinge shaft has a portion extending between said bearing members of said storage box.